Sixteen members of the Vanderbilt Vision Research Center (VVRC) request continued support for predoctoral and postdoctoral training. Vision researchers at Vanderbilt have maintained an exceptionally strong training record with excellent research progress. Aggressive faculty recruiting during the last grant period has doubled the number of qualified preceptors and the number of NEI-funded research grants extending the program of research and training from traditional psychophysics and visual neuroscience to molecular eye research. Individuals trained during the last grant period have obtained competitive postdoctoral or faculty positions and developed independent careers in vision research. Training will continue in visual neuroscience and psychophysics and will be extended to molecular mechanisms in the eye such as transduction, retinal processing and retinal disease. Specific program requirements for predoctoral trainees include (1) The Visual System, a course team-taught by program faculty, (2) additional courses specified by the trainee's graduate program selected from an extensive curriculum covering molecular biology, neuroscience, perception and engineering, (3) participation in the Vanderbilt Vision Research Seminar series and related seminars on campus, (4) participation in international scientific meetings such as Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology, Vision Science Society and Society for Neuroscience, (5) participation in a Responsible Conduct of Research program, and (6) most importantly, research supervised by one or more preceptors. Postdoctoral trainees are required to fulfill the same requirements except (2) while they prepare an independent NRSA proposal. Trainees will be recruited nationally with emphasis on minority sources. Alliances with traditionally African-American institutions in Nashville such as Meharry Medical College, Fisk University and Tennessee State University facilitate minority recruiting. This training program develops independent, academic vision researchers through interdisciplinary training in vision and eye research fostered by the number and cohesiveness of vision and eye researchers at Vanderbilt.